​LATEST STORIES

This Christmas give someone a Children on the Edge inspired gift and help bring hope, life, colour and fun to forgotten children around the world. ​

Help a refugee child learn and play

Our generous friends at Montezuma’s have donated bars of their beautiful chocolate so that you can give two gifts in one. For a donation of £5 or more, you a will receive a Children on the Edge gift card packaged with a delicious 100g bar of Montezuma’s Chocolate*.

When you buy this charity gift to give away, you can help provide education for child in a refugee camp, helping them have a safe space to learn and play. Perfect for a stocking filler or a secret santa gift.

Last month Human Rights Watch published a report identifying how, despite the messages being put out about a welcome back, residents are being blocked from returning because of the destruction of their property and rights.

Their Middle East Director Lama Fakih said that “Russia and Syria are calling on people to return to attract reconstruction funding, but as always with the Syrian government, reality is much different. In demolishing their homes and restricting access to their property, the Syrian government is signalling that despite official rhetoric inviting Syrians ‘home,’ they do not want refugees or displaced persons back.”

Nuna Matar leads the work we support for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. She says, “The welcome home is not rhetoric, there have been some genuine changes in policy and they are making it as easy as possible for Syrians to return, but the destruction of people’s homes is a real issue”.

Nuna describes how the Lebanese government have removed a number of fees and taxes and provided free buses and luggage allowance across the border. The Syrian government are also encouraging large scale return, as they have no young men left to rebuild or work.

​Whereas in the past if an individual returned they would be put in jail and then sent to the army; at present the government will at least give a returning young man six months to set up their home and settle their family.

She says “There are around 500 people returning each day, which sounds like a lot but when you think there’s over a million refugees in Lebanon, it’s a slow return. There are a few people we know that have gone back, but not many yet”.

We have been supporting Nuna’s organisation for the last four years to provide education for around 500 Syrian refugee children in the Bekaa Valley. As the situation evolves, the team are looking to prepare the children for different eventualities.

A major part of this is centralising the three tent schools we currently support in three different refugee camps into one brand new school building (see image above). This will have room to educate around 350 children, with space for an office and a lot of room outside to play.

This new school set up will not only provide better facilities, but will enable children to become accustomed to a larger, more structured learning environment, to prepare them for entry into mainstream school if they return to Syria.

Making visits across the border and into Syria, Nuna has observed the desecration of the villages that people are being expected to return to. “Their homes are completely destroyed, there are no jobs, no people, no services, so although they are being encouraged to return, it is more complicated than that”.

After providing ongoing support for displaced people within Syria, our partners now have a number of different plans to help those returning to the country, the first of which will be the opening of a Community Centre in the suburbs of Damascus in December. They are also looking at establishing a series of ‘safe parks’ for children in Syria.

​Nuna says “Children are not used to playing in Syria and everyone is depressed. They are often neglected and don’t often play at home”. Consequently the parks will not only be colourful spaces with play equipment, but will be used to deliver quality psychosocial support programmes.

​Watch this space to see the development of these plans and click the buttons below to get involved.

Education loans are small business loans given via the CPTs to the most vulnerable households, enabling them to create a source of income which covers the costs of providing for their children and sending them to school.

After the most needy households are identified, people are invited to attend a series of training workshops, which include a focus on saving, small business training and opportunities to form self help groups.

These ‘education loans’ have gone from strength to strength, with an external evaluation in September 2017 stating how loans have ”boosted the economic capacity of respective households to meet their needs such as education, food [and] medical care…”

To receive the loan, a prospective business owner will make a business plan and write an application with support from the CPT. They are given a timeframe within which to pay it back, by which time they have a thriving business, a child in school and a good knowledge of how to manage their own finances.

The external report included feedback from many recipients including a mother from Masese III who said “I thank God for bringing Children on the Edge, because I was really struggling but they gave me 200,000 Ugandan shillings and I am now able to educate my children, buy books, feed my children and even pay rent. Although there has been a problem with hunger in the community, my situation has not been as bad as it would have been without Children on the Edge support. That capital helped me to start a small business where I sell tomatoes and silver fish”.

Repaid loans are then available to be passed on to someone else in need. With recipients paying a little interest, the loan pot can gradually grow, in order to help an increasing number of households. The repayment of the loan with a little interest also teaches business and budgeting skills, rather than dependency, and makes the fund itself sustainable.

A community evaluation of the ‘Most Significant Changes’ in the area, facilitated in January 2018 showed how the development of a ‘savings culture’ had significantly improved the financial status of those involved. Robina from Masese II described how “I was able to start saving as well as reserve some money to send my five children to school, provide them with basic needs and scholastic materials. So basically I am happy because my children are back to school and I can provide for the family needs as a single parent.”

The workshops introduce the benefits of saving and give hints and tips on how to put money aside, even through times of financial stress. Each person attending has a trial period of demonstrating they can save money and budget, before they are given their first loan.

Over 90 people are currently participating in the loan scheme, nearly half of whom are supporting five or more children. Not only have over half these people increased their savings, but an incredible 92% have reported that they are now able to feed their children twice a day. 93% are also now able to send their children to school, maintaining regular attendance.

​Find out more about the difference these loans make in people’s lives by reading Lydia and Irene’s stories. Just click their images below:

HundrED aims to share best practice ideas and K12 innovations across borders, to help improve the future of education globally. To achieve this, a team of researchers investigated innovations from around the world to determine 100 projects that are already changing the face of education.

Over 1,000 innovations were identified through research, events and recommendations and then a shortlist were evaluated by HundrED’s academy, made up of educational experts, educators and students from 28 countries.

Projects were assessed on their innovativeness, impact and scalability. HundrED’s researchers focused on finding out whether innovations produced tangible results, whether they addressed a need in an new and meaningful way, and whether the idea could grow or be adapted to help others elsewhere in the world.

Saku Tuominen, CEO of HundrED, said: “Spreading innovations such as Children on the Edge’s community-led refugee education model across borders can be a gamechanger for education, worldwide. We will continue to encourage as many stakeholders as possible including schools, educators, administrators, students and organisations to get involved so that we can work towards a positive future.”

To share the K12 innovations, HundrED has created an online platform so that educators around the world can trial and review selected innovations using the resources for free. To explore the global innovations, please visit:www.hundred.org.

Currently, the most popular type of venture from our loan scheme are vegetable businesses, with over a quarter of all loan participants starting up stalls. One of these business owners is Irene, who is 60 years old and a grandmother responsible for three orphaned children.

She used to live alone after her two children grew up and left to start their own families. She mainly survived on the support her son Godfrey provided, though once in a while she did casual work like laundry or helping in people’s fields to earn some extra income. Through this time, she always had an idea of starting up a vegetable business, but had limited funds which weren’t sufficient enough even for her basic needs.

Tragically, her son Godfrey died, and Irene took on his children, as their mother had divorced Godfrey and disappeared a few years before. At this time, Irene realised that she had not only had the responsibility of taking care of these children, but with her son gone, she was the only earner.

Despite her interest in starting up a vegetable business, she was still limited by a lack of capital. During this crisis she began to talk with Joyce, who had started her own business through the Children on the Edge education loan programme. She introduced Irene to the local Child Protection Team, who in turn introduced her to the loans officer.

After an assessment, Irene was was given a loan of 200,000 Ugandan shillings, which she used to start up the long wished for vegetable stall beside her house. Edwin Wanabe, Programme Director for Children on the Edge Africa said “Irene’s business is doing well. It is from this that she is able to provide for her grandchildren’s basic needs and education. She is very grateful for the great support given to her. She often expresses her joy by telling our loan’s officer how she has hope that, through the business, her grandchildren have a provider, who has stepped into their father’s shoes since he’s gone”. ​

Lydia is a member of Masese I Child Protection Team (CPT), who had a thriving banana (Matooke) business, which her family relied on. Sadly her situation took a turn for the worse, when her husband was involved in a serious accident which left him bedridden, leaving Lydia as the only earner.

For a time all her profits had to go towards his medical treatment, which suffocated the business and caused Lydia to begin to lose hope. Through talks with her fellow CPT members, our social worker and the loans officer, she was encouraged to apply for a loan to invest into her collapsing trade.

The loan soon reawakened her profits, enabling her to not only pay her husband’s treatment costs, but also take care of the household needs and pay school fees for her children.​Lydia said “I am extremely happy that amidst the challenges that befall me, I still picked up courage and invested the loan money in my struggling Matooke business, which was almost collapsing. This enabled me grow my business from buying two bunches to four, and I am really grateful because this has uplifted my household income”.

On Sunday October 7th 2018, we held the seventh annual Children on the Edge Chichester Half Marathon, raising a fantastic £21,000 for our work with vulnerable children around the world.

Over £4,000 of this was raised by a fantastic group of 27 runners who were all part of this year’s Run for Refugees Team. All 27 team members committed to raise a minimum of £100 each for our work with refugee children in Bangladesh and Lebanon.

Here are some of Tiki’s comments describing their experience of this year’s Chichester Half:

“I was really quite nervous on the morning of the race, training in the last couple weeks had done a bit awry as I had been unwell…Mum was also a bit nervous as she knew what was ahead of us having completed last years race as well!

The pre run warm up was really good fun, gave us a giggle and got us warm and ready to go. Then it was onto the line up, where we chatted to a lovely lady and then we were off. The first part through town was slow as planned, saving our legs for the hill. We had our pace aims which I had plotted for us and we were on target as we started to climb, from here on out we ran our own races, just because I happened to be going slightly faster than mum.

We both felt great when we got to the top of the Trundle, we managed it better than our training run! The second half of the race for me was mentally challenging, I was starting to feel tired and I tripped over my own feet at one point which was annoying but my husband managed to text me at just the right time and I ran the last mile and a half feeling strong and happy.

Mum came in just after me with a big smile on her face and feeling great. She knocked 10 minutes off last year’s time and felt she still had a bit in her. We got our times from the machine straight away which is lovely, as I called my hubby and he was super proud of me. Then we went over to the VIP tent (a perk for Run for Refugees runners!) to enjoy the snacking delights Children on the Edge had lined up for runners - nice touch!

The support we received from Children on the Edge was amazing and really helped to make the whole experience more fun and meaningful. We’ve both done events for other charities, with much larger fundraising targets, and not felt nearly as supported or as valued as everyone has made us feel running for you so thank you all.”

We’re incredibly grateful to all our Run for Refugees runners who, in addition to Tiki and Michele include Chris and team from Bowers and Wilkins, Georgia and team from Montezuma’s Chocolates, Samuel, Kelly, Tony, Jeremy, Thomas, Stephen and Derek.

​The 10th grade class has been learning a variety of different topics including intensive English classes, computer literacy (i.e. typing, Excel, Photoshop, Powerpoint), sewing and tailoring as well as going deeper into their academic studies.

They have also had experience being ‘teacher’s aides’ for part of term, which enabled them to see how lessons are planned and taught and how teachers manage the classrooms. Students then planned their own small lessons and taught some classes. Project worker Hannah says “It was difficult at first, but as time passed they became so much more confident in organising and leading the students”.

Students have also enjoyed a crafts and home decoration class with a volunteer teacher, taking things from their homes and turning them into decorations. They then had the opportunity to sell their crafts and decorations at a local market. They are also part of a building and wood construction course, where they learn the planning process, purchase materials, measure, cut and finally assemble different wooden projects.

In addition to practical skills, the entire school year have been learning economics, which is integrated into class times and projects. They collect money every week into a kitty to spend on things they want for the class. They have used this for craft materials and wood, then sold the items they made to make a profit. Hannah describes how “It is an amazing real time example and practice of economics. I saw some small tables they are building and was so impressed with their work!”

A short term volunteer also delivered solar oven building training for adults. The idea is that they can learn how to make solar ovens and then create small businesses. The added bonus is that, as electricity is unpredictable in Syria, when these refugees go back they will haveuseful transferrable knowledge to help refugee communities cook using solar power.

Since 2012,the 11th October has been marked by the UN as the International Day of the Girl. It aims to highlight and address the challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

This year’s theme is entitled ‘With Her: A Skilled GirlForce’ as in the next decade, 90% of girls entering the workforce in developing countries will work in the informal sector, where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common.

​The theme this year seeks to promote the expansion of learning opportunities for girls and calls on the global community to rethink how to prepare girls for a successful transition into the world of work.

In the Rohingya refugee camps where we work in Bangladesh, over 52% of newly arrived children are girls, and there is a high school drop-out rate for host community girls. In both areas, they face sociocultural barriers combined with safety concerns and supply-related issues (like a lack of trained female teachers).

In our 75 Learning Centres in the camps, girls make up over 50% of children attending, and teachers are 80% female, providing a role model for those they teach. The curriculum provides a positive view of girls and they are given full opportunity to lead and make decisions through child councils.

Mohammed’s daughter is currently attending one of our new Learning Centres in the camp. He says, “If my daughter can get an education, she can choose life outside of this camp. I don’t want her to live the rest of her life here, but if she does not study, she will have no choice”.

In the local host communities in Bangladesh, girls are also vulnerable to child marriage due to the financial pressure on parents. Culturally, they are subject to ‘eve teasing’ in the streets once they reach a certain age and are unmarried, putting pressure on parents to marry them young to keep them safe from abuse.

​All of our Learning Centres in Cox’s Bazar have a 50-50 gender split and a gender sensitive curriculum, promoting a change of attitudes about girls among both sexes in the classroom. Teachers are 80% female and given full opportunities to train and earn an independent income.

There is a specific focus on issues of trafficking, child marriage and exploitation within the activities of the camp and host community Centres and teachers are trained to raise awareness with the children. They also work with parents to talk to them about the negative effects of child marriage and the value of girl’s education. We have seen positive results from this over the years, with parental attitudes changing both in the camps and the communities.

Safiya is studying Grade 3 at one of the Centres. She's also a member of the Child Council, and in one of their recent newsletters she wrote an article about her feelings about child marriage.She says, “If I leave the school my grandmother will marry me off, which I don’t like at my early age. I have decided to advocate against early marriage in my slum. If my neighbours don’t hear me I will bring my teacher to explain it to them, early marriage is a risk for health and life".

Partnering with ‘Girl Determined’, the new Centres in the camps will be used to host weekly gatherings for adolescent girls, led by local trained facilitators. They will cover issues such as decision-making, self-confidence, girls’ rights and planning for the future.​

Since 2012,the 11th October has been marked by the UN as the International Day of the Girl. It aims to highlight and address the challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

This year’s theme is entitled ‘With Her: A Skilled GirlForce’ as in the next decade, 90% of girls entering the workforce in developing countries will work in the informal sector, where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common. The theme this year seeks to promote the expansion of learning opportunities for girls and calls on the global community to rethink how to prepare girls for a successful transition into the world of work.​

The current situation for Dalit women and girls living in Bihar State is desperate. Surviving as part of the lowest strata of a brutal caste system, with the added oppression that arises from being female, traps many women in poverty and abuse.

UN Women state that despite government efforts for reform, across the country they continue to face severe maltreatment, including acid attacks, child marriage, dowry-related violence, honour killings, rape, sexual harassment and trafficking.

Compounding this situation are pervading levels of caste discrimination which despite being outlawed, determine much of the structure of daily society. Dalits are considered the ‘lowest’ of the caste strata and face severe restrictions, exploitation and violence.

The work we support here focuses on supporting women and girls to realise their rights to education, health, income, protection and shelter. We encourage them to develop their confidence and self-esteem and to restore a sense of their inherent self-worth.​We provide access to education for 1,200 Dalit children within 30 colourful and safe environments. Located on rooftops and canal-sides, under trees and inside homes, the Centres are accessible to all. Children learn maths, reading, writing and vital life skills and gain understanding of their inherent worth. They develop knowledge of their rights and will ultimately be resourced to access mainstream education opportunities.

Girls and boys attend focused gender equality workshops, so they can address deep-set prejudice together, along with tackling its consequences in their communities. One 12 year old girl called Aakriti attended the Centres but teachers noticed she was shy and regularly absent. Programme leader Veena says “She looked frightened and anxious. At the same time very little interest in playing and mingling with others”.

Aakriti went to one of the workshops at the Centres about ‘good and bad touch’. During the session many children spoke about sexual abuse they experienced from vendors, men on the bus, and their relatives. After this session Aakriti confided to her sister, telling her that she had recently been attacked and raped by a group of boys. Her sister came straight to the teachers and told them. They called Aakriti to talk about it and she is now having trauma counselling.

Women’s Groups attached to each Centre receive training about their rights along with the practical skills, support and mentorship they need to realise them. They push for protection, counter corruption and hold violent individuals to account in the courts. Sadly when Aakriti’s parents were approached about taking action they refused saying. “If people come to know that she is a rape victim no one will marry her. She will be burden to the family.”

This programme continues to work with families to address this kind of ingrained inequality. Veena says “It is very difficult to break the social stigma attached to rape and sexual abuse of women. Will she ever get justice?”